Sequencing:
Sequencing is the order in which you put information. And in this case, I'm not the one who put the information down ...God is.
If you don't believe in God, that is another discussion ...this is addressing the information that is given to us, in the Bible.
I'm probably getting this part wrong, but 'logistics' popped into my head, so I'm going with it ...since I am not yet discussing the authority of the Bible, just my beginning statements.
Logistics involves the things that need to be done to plan and organize a complicated activity or event that involves many people. Yet, sometimes we make it more complicated than it needs to be ...why is that?? Because many people are involved. And those 'many people' have been involved throughout history, competing with others who have different leadings, and often self-serving agendas.
I may get back to that, but it does not need to be as complicated as we often make it ...if we just look at the entire Bible, realizing there should be no conflict, only perceptions arising through what we've been told to perceive or prioritizing certain verses while rationalizing why other verses should be viewed with different criteria. And this is very evident in our reading of the Book of Genesis ...though to clarify, I'm not saying it is written that way, it only often reflects upon the person reading it.
That being said, I believe the first Chapter in the Bible describes a literal sequence of six 24-hour days.
I guess if I'm going to go at length here ...well, here I go.
The Light, I believe, was the same Light that is going to be in the New Jerusalem ...God's Light.
I'm going to use an illustration of an experience I often had during the last half of my employment years ....before I retired. I drove 61 miles to work, and 61 miles back home ...and I had much time to think. I worked afternoon shift, so when I got home everyone was asleep, and I was still geared up, or I should say, needing to be geared down ...so I'd write.
One of my observations was during the long drives, seemingly longer in the winter with snow and ice. When everyone began to slow down, I noticed that it was usually because up ahead someone was in the ditch. A tow truck may have already been there, so traffic wasn't slowing down to help ...it was the feeling that the roads must be slippery, and others may end up in the ditch too. Yet, it was not long until the traffic began to pick up again ...until another was noticed in the ditch, and once again the visual reminder that the roads may be slippery.
Intervals of time are often reminders. And I believe that God instituted the intervals, as a reminder ...not of slowing down and speeding up on a highway, but of Light and then the removal of the Light.
We commemorate September 11th of each year, to pay tribute to the victims and honor the heroes & survivors of the rescue mission after the terror attacks on the Twins Towers. We should not forget the heroic acts, nor the cowardly deeds ...both should be remembered. And similarly, we have days of solemn remembrance, such as Memorial Day ...and days of celebration, such as the 4th of July, a declaration of independence.
But, there was a certain declaration of independence that was very bad ...and that was when a substantial number (a third) of the angels declared their independence from God.
And yes, there was a war that followed.
When it was evident who won (the angelic rebellion), the Book of Job describes singing and shouting for joy. (I don't think the fallen angels were shouting with joy.)
And isn't it beautiful how God has preserved that interval with stringing up lights (like at Christmas time) in the heavens, or if you prefer, relighting candles; and at the next interval creates birds to sing every morning ...in case we forget to??
And just to add a bit more for those who like to debate this, I believe God had already established that He wanted a 7-day week, 'creating' that standard ...and asking us to follow it. It is absurd to think that God just started creating, and that it was taking Him longer than what He anticipated, stretching out into six days of work.
And of course, months ...seasons ...and years. Yes, all of them would repeat with a pattern ...yet to me, the most significant commemoration is the cycle of each day. And yes, I believe that God decided upon these intervals, then on day four, created the heavenly bodies that we see and set their motions to match the intervals. There was not only found reason to celebrate the victory over the angelic rebellion, with singing and shouting for joy by the angels ...but, then on day #5 a special creation took place to carry on that bit of celebration to our ears. Yes, the birds celebrating in song each morning with the daily introduction of light.
Yes, I believe that God decided upon these intervals, then on day four, created the other heavenly bodies and their motions to match the intervals.
And of course, we are also designed to rest ...and in particular, our eyes appreciate the dark to rest, so I will have to get off this computer soon ...so, I can rest my eyes.
Understanding:
If I've not already caused enough controversy with my six literal 24-hour days, it is likely I'm going to make up for lost ground with my understanding of what is not literally written, and perhaps arguably not even remotely implied. Yet, I do believe that though there are verses that some people may say do not follow ...as a whole, I feel it does make more sense what I'm about to present.
When the Presidential primaries were taking place, leading up to who would be nominated to run on the Democratic ticket for 2016 ...there were a couple candidates who felt they didn't have much of a chance, yet thought they could appeal to voters who may not be of the same mindset as the other candidates. I'm not going to mention any names, but one candidate said he had much experience in working with downtrodden neighborhoods. And the example of Baltimore was brought up.
Baltimore had a disturbingly high crime rate ...and the one candidate said that mismanagement of funds resulted in little or no improvement in that city. The other candidate who had said he was experienced in working with the neighborhoods, now claimed that not enough money was spent to help Baltimore.
People always seem to be in disagreement over this issue. Some people say that a wealthy nation should be able to solve these problems ...and blame the government for not doing enough. And others say that too much government assistance does not really help, and is not allowing us to work through to any actual solutions.
Those are views that people hold, and likely they are not going to easily abandon their perceptions. And people are always naturally going to choose sides with who they feel is to blame. This is how we are, and likely will continue to be ...and God knows it.
I feel this is why God created the angels first. The angels were created with power and splendor. That's too much temptation for me ...and honestly, I don't even want to imagine that I could have possibly joined the third who had rebelled along with Lucifer.
I am so glad God created me as a more humble creature ...potentially more humble anyway. But, more so ...to have the understanding of why, by reading and clearly seeing what He has for us in the Bible. If I hadn't read what happened, I may have stood with those who felt an Almighty could have afforded me a little bit more ...or a lot more.
Yes, there are Bible verses that lead me to believe the angels were created before the do-over, and the 'in the beginning' that is our beginning. The 'in the beginning' that I read, to me means 'our' beginning, after God quelled the rebellion of the angels.
The Book of Revelation 21:23 says the glory of God will light the New Jerusalem ...and that same Light, I believe, was on the first day. Yet, there was the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters, in darkness ...in the previous verse.
Yet, when the Light was introduced again ...well, I visualize how it is said in the Book of Job 38:7, where the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. If any angels doubted, I believe it is at this point they realized that God not only brought the victory, but also restored what seemed to be lost.
Believing:
I want to stress the fact that you don't have to believe me ...and you shouldn't.
Believe the Bible ...that is what I do.
Yet, you may feel I've read the Bible, and even studied the Bible. And I can present an average case for what I believe ...so, perhaps you could 'hear me out' (a bit more polite than to 'see me out' or telling me to 'get out'.)
I am going to politely ask you to 'get out' your Bible. Start out with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is most important to believe in Jesus. If anything else is seemingly tripping you up, stick with Jesus ...any other disagreement or interpretation of any other Books in the Bible should not get in the way of your faith in Jesus.
By saying this, I'm not saying the other Books in the Bible are not important ...we are quite privileged to have the entire Bible, and furthermore, I believe it all. (And how can we believe in Jesus without believing in what is written about Him?)
I will share with you what I've learned from what other people are saying about the Bible. I joined an on-line group that I felt were Bible believers, and the group was called 'Creationism'. I first of all learned some things about on-line groups, which I'm not saying I disagree with, I just wasn't expecting it. And one of the things I learned was that many nonbelievers were very interested in the group, not for the reason for learning about other people's views on the Bible, but for debating through a scientific lens to discredit the Bible. Many others who said they believed in God, said the Bible was corrupted. The majority (at least the ones who were vocalizing) believed that the first couple Chapters of Genesis were nothing more than poetic, and were to be looked at for its storytelling, not for any accuracy or truth.
At this point it seemed like they had lined up the Books of the Bible as dominoes ...and as one fell (in their mind), the others stood in line also to do so. And most of it was in defense of science, whether that science attempted to support evolution, or whether it tried to intellectually discredit the accuracy of the Bible ...it certainly seemed to ignore much of the development of how God established a loving relationship with us. And as one Chapter, then two ...failed to meet the standard of truth in their eyes, soon the entire Book of Genesis joined the ranks of storytelling or myth.
When the Gospel of John, Chapter 5, verses 46-47 was mentioned, the response was that 'John' is not a part of the synoptic Gospels and not a reliable source. (Of course, we can read John 5:46-47 which quotes Jesus as saying, "For had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. But, if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe My words?") But, they say that is not reliable, it is corrupted, and Jesus came to give help to the poor ...not to take a divisive stance, but to love everyone. And I agree that He loves everyone. My struggle would be how do I daily define that I love Him??
And shouldn't it be mentioned also that in all the Gospels, Jesus continued to point to the Father ...and directly stated that they are One.
If everyone was to go to Heaven, I don't believe Jesus would have died ...there being no reason to. Yes, Jesus died for our sins, and without that sacrifice, nobody would be able to go to Heaven. But, if everyone would go to Heaven, then it would not provide much hope ...as Heaven would be much like earth is, and there would be nothing to be saved from.
And everything happens because we have freedom of choice, which I don't think God just deems irrelevant. I know what I just said can be twisted and misinterpreted, though I am not suggesting it would be intentionally done, as I am also certain I often don't phrase things properly.
Let me clear that up in my usual fashion of perhaps making it more unclear. In some form or another, I believe it is all about choices, and those choices are much influenced by how we perceive God. I believe that it was not so much about Adam & Eve eating the fruit of the tree in the Garden ...as it was about the serpent (Lucifer/devil/Satan) consuming their thoughts, and corrupting their idea about God.
Firstly, God loves us all ...and He would that none would perish. Yet, secondly, He has promised us a paradise that will not have the evil and wickedness that I think we all know exist ...so, there has to be a separation. And we decide whether we want to be with God, or in the place where He is not.
Though I think everyone would not readily admit that they are making that choice now ...whether they want God to be as He is presented to be in the Bible, or whether and to what extent they accept a version different from what has been passed down to us.
Each of us decide what part of our life we commit to any personal belief. Many sides of this argument seem always to exist and are being rather extensively debated.
What do each of us present as our professed belief??
The serpent didn't present God accurately, but instead provided Eve with a motive that seems rather similar to how Satan himself failed. And sadly, I see much today ...of God not being presented for who He is.
That being said, in reference to Him, how clear is the choice we all have to make??
A bit of summary here: we have Lucifer's (or Satan's) failure ...God takes the light away, and the darkness likely causes uncertainty with the angels. When the Light is restored, two-thirds of the angels celebrate.
Consider how we celebrate.
Certainly, we don't celebrate old age ...though many people have reminded me that it beats the alternative. And part of old age has been inclusive of repeating one's self ...so I've been told, I think, as another sign is forgetfulness.
Well, if you combine repeating with forgetfulness ...then you will possibly get what you'll read next, as I just realized I've already said this, though didn't realize I had said it in this actual blog. I thought I had written it elsewhere, but maybe I said it better in one of the places, so I will keep both.
The New Year is sort of a time where we strive to start over. We can reflect on how good the last year was, or if we feel it wasn't so good, and we can approach it with a motivation of starting anew. I believe the angels saw something 'new' was beginning.
I'm not going to mention all the holidays, but let's look at two that are similar ...Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. A word is in the first one ...'memory'. Remembering does many good things. We tend to be more grateful when we remember and acknowledge. And things are put in perspective as to learning also ...being reminded not to act in a careless way.
I recall driving to work on a snowy day. The roads didn't appear to be too bad, and traffic was moving along ...but, suddenly someone would be seen in the ditch. Not surprisingly, traffic suddenly slowed way down. Yet, after a while the traffic would begin to speed up again, until another car would be seen in the ditch. The first car in the ditch should have been an indication that the roads were slippery ...but, it seemed to take successive reminders for the traffic to slow down each time.
When God restored the Light, the way I see it is that He provided the angels with the successive reminders by creating intervals of light and darkness ...reminding of the darkness, and also how He brought back the light. Some people argue that the Bible said light was here before the stars (including our sun) ...and that, in their mind, is not right. But, I believe the interval of light (being the same Light that will fill Heaven) was here on the first day of the new beginning, and that God had the source of the lights created afterwards ...as they are not really the source, God is the source. And God send the light backwards to distant centers of light, and set the planets in perfect motion. (And the motions were to match the prearranged time interval which God had decided upon, not the other way around.)
And I also see that as God set up these new lights, the next day He created creatures to replace the angels celebration at the first returning of light ...and as each day the light begins to emerge, the birds sing out in celebration of each glorious day.
Some people believe the angels were created in the six days of Creation. I see nowhere in the first Chapter that would make me feel that is true. Plants, fish, birds, and animals are mentioned. To me, an angel would be more important than an elephant (classified under animals) ...yet, you know the saying, and it would be like ignoring the elephant in the room.
It seems some people don't like to think of God at all ...in contrast to those of us who can't help but be in awe of Him.
And beyond being awestruck, there is much beauty that can be seen. No, I don't know how it was ...as some popular apologists have said, "Were you there?"
I know how God touches my heart. That is not comparing how He touches anyone else, nor is it claiming I have been given any special revelation. Yet, nor do I think it is harmful to be in awe of God, and imagine ...as long as I don't create exclusivity, create my own church, or claim divine status which I do not have. I am not saying any of what I say is true, unless it is what the Bible says.
And yes, what I mostly say about Genesis could be labeled as unsound thinking. Sadly, many of us think the other person is making fallacious points. And often people would say statements like I make are not just an opinion, but flat-out wrong. One could make a point that I often approach a subject utilizing an 'argument from silence'.
Yet, I feel many people have accepted through many years that very thing, an argument from silence that has been passed on down to us. If my silence represents my acceptance of those things, then how much actual thinking am I doing at all??
I'd rather have dialogue, and risk being criticized. At least I will emerge having thought it through more thoroughly, and hopefully with more understanding. I stick with the Bible, and though some of the things are not always clear, I feel some of the things have been clearly interpreted wrongly. And I will hear you out on those things, if you also hear what I have to say about it ...that's what healthy dialogue should look like in most cases (at least in my opinion).
Who am I to say that?? Well, I am someone who accepts the love of God, and knows you don't have to accept what I say, only what God says. Is that a disclaimer?? Whatever it is, I will continue what I started here.
I believe God created two creatures to know Him, in the image of Him, for who He really is. First the angels, then humankind ...who can choose to follow Him. We can also choose to believe what He has given us to know Him by, believing that would be the Bible ...or we can believe the Bible is corrupted, and somehow believe our own understanding of the universe is our highest calling.
I don't think that it was an overnight affair ...where the angels rebelled immediately after they were created. It probably took some doing, much dialogue, and even more deception. And of course, organizing a rebellion of that magnitude likely requires much extensive effort. We can be thankful we didn't have to experience it, yet we know how much effort people in our own day seem to put forth in trying to deny God.
Next, I read of something that has sort of bothered people when I mention it. It is mentioned on Day #6, verses 27-29, and reads as follows: "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God, He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.' And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat'."
If I say my son likes baseball, and his birthday is coming up, he may have two dozen relatives 'gift' him with 8 baseball bats, 8 gloves, and 8 baseballs. Or he could get 3 baseball bats, 6 baseballs, and 15 gloves. Or one dozen relatives could gift him merely with cash. How about 15 relatives giving him gold, frankincense, and myrrh ...or how about 3 wise men???
Or two relatives could give a 'group gift' of gold, frankincense, and myrrh ...the point being, we don't know how many wise men traveled from the East, following the star. And in the first Chapter of Genesis, it doesn't say how many either ...it says He created 'them' male and female. And then God says they can eat the fruit of every tree.
It seems that most people don't focus on the verses where God told man & woman they could eat the fruit of all the trees ...with no limitation. Then, in Chapter 2, are we to believe that God changed His mind, and said, "No! Man is going to work!" ...and puts him in the Garden, as it would be, changing His mind by saying there is a tree that he can't eat the fruit from??
Why is it so difficult to read that God created many of them ---male & female ...outside the Garden, and with the freedom to eat any fruit; then God 'forming' one special man for the Garden, that He chooses to 'put' him in. This one man, Adam, has a limitation ...not able to have every fruit, but one he can't. And at this time, there is no woman yet when Adam is given the directions not to eat the fruit of that one tree. Later in the Eve-ning, she is created, and Adam has to tell her of the limitation. (That's just how I look at it.)
And this all makes sense in latter Chapters, Adam & 'Eve now outside the Garden, and Cain afraid of the people outside the Garden, when he is sent away after killing his brother. And Cain finding a wife, at a place where he went to ...which was already there. Nod if you agree.
And it makes little sense to me that God would create only two humans, making incest unavoidable ...then flooding the earth because of the evil and wickedness that seems always present within the dynamics of incest.
Now, I don't feel God has to make sense to me ...it's just that I feel He does. And what I have mostly been taught does make sense to me, it's some of the less seemingly important things that bring a bit of confusion ...not because they have to, but because there is much truth in saying a little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9)
And furthermore, much of what is said, I don't even read it in the Bible. What I read in the Bible, of course, fits what I feel God has brought me to believe ...yet I'm not basing it upon mere feelings, but upon God's Word.
These verses make a bit more sense to me this way, and there are only two verses that people have presented as evidence of God only creating two people. And that way of thinking does not address at all the many other verses that would appear problematic to me.
The first verse is: First Corinthians, 15:45 ...speaking of Adam as the first man, and Jesus as the last man. It seems very much like it is speaking of the genealogy, the line of Jesus ...as clearly Jesus isn't the last man that has lived. It is this 'line' that Satan was told he was going to be punished through ...quite significant, as I see it.
The other verse I usually hear, is that Eve was the mother of all living ...which I believe also has to do with the genealogy in a sense, and also the understanding presented along with the punishments that were being doled out. Seeing as Eve (and Adam) were told they were surely going to die, it would seem that Eve would feel she was going to be the mother of all death. God must have explained how He was going to restore her and her husband (also hinted within the statement made to the serpent), and with restored hope and encouragement, likely Eve could now see how she was not going to be the mother of all death, but of all living (a living testimony to God, available for all to choose).
Fast forward a bit ...how do we look at relationships today?? I've heard people say, "My wife is an absolute angel." Well, not to get into a gender argument, but to even conceive this it would have to be a fallen angel. And could any of you think of marrying a fallen angel?? Would that happen today, and what if you didn't know it?? Furthermore, would God permit it??
The ratio of boys and girls born is approximately 105 boys to 100 girls (the stats given, or 21 to 20, if you prefer) ...a global average, not including the unreported selection in communist countries where there is often a cruel and violent preference, inclusive of selective abortion. But, as terrible as that is, abortion is a subject that I discuss elsewhere. At this point we have rather equal numbers of boys and girls born, and assuming they mostly reach the age where they want to get married, there should be someone for everyone, Unless, of course, a unimaginable number of angels are introduced to create massive competition.
Going back to the reference for this conversation, before the Flood of Noah's time, I've heard people say that angels married humans. And the part that is quoted says that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, and they took all these women that they wanted for their wives. (This is Genesis, Chapter 6.)
Now, that would really set things off ....as we are to imagine, what would all the men do, when all those women were taken by angels??
There are several verses in the Bible which mention 'sons of God'. One verse is in the letter from Paul (the apostle) to the Romans, in Chapter 8 ---"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
So, the way I see it, two-thirds of the angels followed God ...and we have no number or percentage of humans who accept being led by God, and we shouldn't be focusing on numbers. Yet, we should encourage others to focus on Jesus, and it is our hope they will be led by the Spirit of God to personally make the choice for Him.
So, the angelic sons of God are those who follow God, and those certainly wouldn't be taking women as wives. And I don't favor the belief that angels married humans ...but, rather I believe in what is stressed in the 6th Chapter of 2nd Corinthians, 'not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers'. It does not appear wise for believers to marry unbelievers, thinking they can just convince them at some point to believe. I think wisdom would speak that one would be patient enough to wait to see if they first respond to convincing ...and become a believer first.
Or maybe we shouldn't even assume that was even a concern at the time ...after all, it says the sons of God saw that they were fair (which in today's language means more than fair or above average) and that was enough to want to marry them.
Yes, I believe that human sons of God sought after women who did not have very high moral standards ...so, where did that leave the women who were perhaps looking for a moral and decent man, when the men were no longer making moral choices?? And likely that blurred the lines differentiating between a believer and an unbeliever, leaving each successive generation a much depleted standard of morality. (Can we see any of that happening today?)
The Bible says that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. That is what had become of mankind.
Today, we have many good neighborhoods and many good churches. Yet, society is attempting to blur the lines of what is God's standard. How long before one finds themselves living within an environment of questionable morality?? How do we think it happened to Lot, Abraham's nephew??
Second Peter, Chapter 2, says that Lot was righteous. We ask why he tolerated so much. I guess each of us can ask why God tolerates our sin ...yet, wouldn't it be sort of a wake-up call if it got that bad?? I can't imagine sending out my two daughters to the likes of such violent people. It seems like Lot was going to allow it, even though the angels did not allow it. But, the very idea of making one's daughter feel of so little value ...well, it likely led to the later immoral behavior of the daughters.
Still, is the question of why Lot tolerated Sodom so long. Trying to put that in perspective is a difficult thing ...as I don't even like to think about that exchange in the Bible. Yet, I did imagine there could not have been any law enforcement at all. And last week I was reading about how it was on the ballot in the state of Minnesota, whether they should defund the police. It was not statewide, but for the city of Minneapolis, on whether to replace the police department with a new Department of Public Safety. And with a very narrow margin (56%), they voted to keep the police.
Personally, I think they should often fire the heads of the department, not get rid of the police. The heads of the department are often negligent to confront problems that exist ...and they often have full knowledge of abusive officers within a department. They need to get rid of those officers, not the entire department ...and if the heads of the department don't get rid of them, then the heads should be asked to vacate their positions (in my opinion).
It had been suggested that counselors and other professionals should show up on scene. I can just see the drama unfold in the streets,"Now, how did you feel after stabbing that person with a knife? Were you upset because of something that happened today, and you were wanting to relieve some anxiety? You didn't really want to hurt another person, did you? You were just transferring your emotion, and the other person was just representing a part of yourself that you wanted to cut out of your life. But, you need that part of yourself ...it is also 'you', and you need to learn how to cope with that part of you. Now, just shake hands ...oh, I think it would be best if you extend the hand without the knife."
There are countries throughout the world with no law-and-order. Anyone who thinks clearly would not want that. I can't imagine 44% of Minneapolis would want that. I know horrific things happen, and did happen ...but, magnify the number of imaginable horrific things if there were no police. I also watched the video of the horror of what can happen when people think they have the right to police themselves. And I'm not speaking of corrupt gangs within cities. I'm also speaking of ignorant and insane government approved policies like citizen arrests ...the horror of which played out with Ahmaud Arbery.
I don't like to imagine Sodom, and I don't like to imagine gang rule or going back to the 'Wild West' in our country either. Too many people already are experiencing it, mostly in some of our biggest cities. And around the world, entire nations of people not only fear, but also experience the horror of total lawlessness.
In summary:
Truth is not defined by what I say ...truth is what it is. And this blog is merely about what I believe ...yet, I do believe in God, and I believe He is loving, choosing to tell us the truth as I find it incomprehensible that He would not.
I heard of a story about the heroics of my Uncle Andy during World War II, and it was so powerfully inspiring ...because it was true. As a child, one may enjoy the story of a courageous monkey named Curious George ...but, in my view, there is no comprehensible reason why we would favor a fictional story instead of the absolute story, and I'm quite certain neither would our God.
We are to make a very important choice in this life ...a choice to either want a life with God, or a life without Him. And with the angels, one may think it was an easier choice ---as they were all already with God. Their choice involved whether they wanted to continue to be with God. The choice us humans make is a bit different. In one small way, our choice is like the choice Adam & Eve had of choosing to follow God's direction by not eating the fruit of one tree. But, of course, deception was involved ...as it continues to be involved, yes, there is much of that influence today. Yet again, Adam & Eve were not just given one choice to follow that would condemn them to death ...and we aren't either.
Following is not just a leap of faith as some people have presented it. It is not so much about any single choice of ours, but rather it is about a choice our loving God made. It is not so much about how we follow, but about Who we follow.
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